世界小史 第29章:俄赛里斯(在线收听

   Would you like to know how to write using hieroglyphs?

  你想知道如何用象形文字书写吗?
  In fact, learning this sort of writing must have been incredibly hard, as it's more like constructing a picture puzzle.
  事实上,这种书写确实不容易学会,因为这情形跟猜画像十分相似。
  If they wanted to write the name of their god, Osiris, they would draw a throne,
  如果他们想写他们的神俄赛里斯的名字,他们会画一个王座,
  which was pronounced 'Oos', and an eye,
  发音为"Oos",再画一只眼睛,
  which was pronounced 'iri', so that the two together made 'Os-iri'.
  发音为"iri",所以这两者合在一起就是"Os-iri"。
  And to make sure that no one thought they meant 'Throne-eye', they often drew a little flag beside it.
  为了不使人以为这是王座和眼睛的意思,人们往往还在旁边加上一面小旗。
  Which meant that person was a god.
  表明那个人是一个神。
  In the same way that Christians used to draw a cross after a name, if they wanted to show that that person was dead.
  就像基督徒在一个人的名字后面画一个叉,如果他们想表示那个人已经死了。
  原文地址:http://www.tingroom.com/lesson/syysdw/sjxs/344859.html